Nursery worker who raped and abused toddlers jailed

A nursery worker who carried out multiple counts of rape and sexual assault against toddlers as young as two has been given a 30-year sentence.

Nathan Bennett, 30, was found guilty last month of two counts of raping a child under 13, four counts of the sexual assault of a child under 13 and two charges of sexual assault of a child under 13 by penetration.

Prosecutor Virginia Cornwall described the case as "every parent's nightmare".

Bennett was told he'd spend at least 24 years in custody, with six years on licence.

The sexual offences against the five boys aged between two and three years old took place at the Partou King Street Nursery in Bristol.

A parent of a child that was under Bennett's care told Sky News the revelations were "horrifying".

They said: "You think that this can only happen in TV shows and films and to other people.

"And I never thought that I would be in a situation where my children had been looked after by someone who was actively taking part in such horrific things. I felt sick and ill."

Bennett, from Corston, near Bath, began working at the nursery in July 2024.

Concerns were raised in February 2025 after his manager reviewed CCTV following complaints by parents and staff over Bennett's behaviour.

He was seen in the footage putting his hands down the trousers of a child.

He was immediately sent home, and Bennett was arrested by Avon and Somerset Police shortly after.

The nursery closed in December 2025.

During a four-day trial at Bristol Crown Court in February, the jury heard how staff had noted that Bennett would sit children on his lap for lengthy periods of time, wear a pair of trousers with holes in the crotch area and seemed "territorial" over certain toddlers and their parents.

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One nursery practitioner described how Bennett had a "jealous attachment" with five children and would "take control of them".

Following sentencing, video footage of Bennett being questioned by police was released.

In it he denied becoming a nursery worker to have access to children in a sexual way - but said he found it easier being around children "in a professional way".

The jury were also shown video interviews with two of the children in the case - referred to as Child A and Child E.

Child E's mother told the jury her son had demonstrated how he'd been abused at the nursery.

"I got him to stop doing it. I asked him when did that happen. He said it happened at nursery," she said.

As well as the eight charges he was convicted of, Bennett had previously pleaded guilty to thirteen other offences relating to four of the five victims, who were aged two at the time, including charges of sexual assault.

Following Bennett's conviction, the investigating officer, DC Bethany Cook, said: "Nathan Bennett was trusted to care for very young children, but instead committed sexual offences against them at his place of work.

"This investigation involving such young children was deeply challenging and distressing for all concerned, and I would like to commend the support and strength shown by those families."

'Pollute their innocence with your own vile desires'

Judge William Hart described Bennett as an "incorrigible and dangerous paedophile".

The judge said: "Watching, as we did in this trial, the closed circuit television footage of the little children at King Street nursery running around and playing brings a smile to the face of any decent person and any parent… happy, innocent toddlers in a secure setting. But the children we see were not secure.

"They were at risk because unknown to staff and parents you were lurking ready to abuse them and to pollute their innocence with your own vile desires.

"Nathan Bennett, having presided over your trial and having heard and seen the evidence upon which you were convicted, I am unhesitatingly driven to the conclusion that you are an incorrigible and dangerous paedophile with an uncontrollable and ungovernable sexual interest in male toddlers.

"Not only the evidence against you, but your own evidence at trial and your presentation leads me to that conclusion. I find it impossible to predict for how long you will remain such a danger."

The judge added: "The simple fact of the matter though is that you prioritised your own sexual satisfaction over the welfare of these little children and that was due to your grossly distorted thinking and a degree of, to use an old fashioned word, evil."

'May have been prevented'

Families whose children attended the nursery issued a statement after the sentencing, believing opportunities were missed to prevent some of Bennett's abuse.

Specialist abuse lawyers, Leigh Day, who represent a group of 12 families impacted by Bennett's actions, issued a statement on their behalf which read: "Over the months before Bennett's arrest, a number of parents raised concerns about his behaviour. We know concerns were raised to members of staff - we believe those warnings and complaints were not properly followed up or escalated. Had appropriate action been taken sooner, we fear some of the abuse children suffered may have been prevented.

"Nothing can undo what has happened. Our focus is now on supporting our children as they grow, and on seeking answers and accountability from those responsible for ensuring their safety. We are grateful to the police and prosecutors for bringing Bennett to justice, and to our legal team for now taking up the mantle in investigating potential systemic failings. We hope that by speaking out, meaningful changes will be made to protect other children in the future."

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